Gwenan Jones
Gwenan Jones (1889 – 1971) was a Welsh cultural historian, also known as the first woman to stand in a general election for Plaid Cymru.
Jones studied for a master's degree at the University of Wales, then received a doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1918, both in Welsh literature. She then became a lecturer at University of Wales, Aberystwyth, settling in Llandre.[1] Jones became prominent in the Undeb Cymru Fydd, and on behalf of it, was a founder of the Wales International Society.[2]
At the 1945 UK general election, Jones stood for the University of Wales constituency, taking 24.5% of the vote, and becoming the first female Plaid candidate at a general election,[3] and the only Plaid candidate in 1945 to hold her deposit.[4] Despite this relative success, Jones felt disappointed at the party's lack of progress, and did not stand for election again.[5] However, she remained involved with the party; in 1949, she chaired the launch of Plaid's "Parliament for Wales in Five Years" campaign.[6]
Jones also became the president of the Welsh teachers' union, Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru.[7]
In 1948, Jones took in a Latvian family from a displaced persons camp in Germany. The mother of the family initially worked as her housekeeper, but later became a teacher and artist.[8]
References
- ^ "a Dr Gwenan Jones", National Library of Wales
- ^ Wales International Society, History of the Wales International Society
- ^ Gwynfor Evans, For the sake of Wales, p.143
- ^ Alan Butt Philip, The Welsh Question, p.74
- ^ Gwynfor Evans, For the sake of Wales, p.97
- ^ Peter Berresford Ellis, Wales - a nation again, p.116
- ^ Gareth Elwyn Jones, Controls and conflicts in Welsh secondary education, 1889-1944, p.183
- ^ Andris Lielmanis, "Welsh-Latvian ties", The Baltic Times, 10 November 2004